HomeMy Public PortalAboutRES 96/04RESOLUTION NO. 96 -4
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF GULF STREAM
OPPOSING RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PRESIDENTS 1996 BUDGET REQUEST
WHICH WOULD REMOVE FEDERAL PARTICIPATION IN WATER RESOURCES
PROJECTS, INCLUDING BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROJECTS, WHICH ARE
NOT "NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT ", RECOMMENDING THAT THE CURRENT
FEDERAL CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION AND COST - SHARING BE
RETAINED, AND OPPOSING ANY FUTURE LEGISLATION WHICH MAY
ELIMINATE OR L1141T FEDERAL PARTICIPATION IN SUCH EFFORTS;
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
WHEREAS, President Clinton's Fiscal Year 1996 budget request
contains proposals to introduce legislation which will eliminate federal
financial participation in water projects, including shore erosion
control,hurricane and storm damage reduction, and flood control projects
which are not considered to be of "national significance ", and including
all beach nourishment projects nationwide; and
WHEREAS, for those projects which can demonstrate "national
significance ", the Administration proposes to increase the minimum
qualifying benefit /cost ratio to 2:1 from 1:1, and to increase the
non - federal share of the cost from fifty percent (50 %) to seventy -five
percent (750), and
WHEREAS, most of Palm Beach County's beachfront has been and is
continuing to experience severe erosion due to natural causes such as
storms, hurricanes, sea level rise and man -made influences; and
WHEREAS, since the early 1970's, Palm Beach County has acted as
local sponsor for numerous federally- funded shore protection projects,
providing increased beach width and storm protection along approximately
eight (8) miles of the County's 44 -1/2 mile coast, at a total cost of
approximately $28.7 million of which approximately $10.3 million was
the federal investment, $8.6 million was the state share and $9.8
million was local money; and
WHEREAS, the calculated value of the shorefront development in
Palm Beach County which is protected by beaches from hurricane and
storm wave damage is in excess of $6.5 billion; and
WHEREAS, the health of Palm Beach County's beaches is fundamental
to the health of the County's tourism industry, which in turn is a
foundation of the County's economy; and
WHEREAS, according to a recent Corps of Engineers study, the
justification for federal participation in Palm Beach County's beach
renourishment and erosion control projects is, and has been, their
demonstrated contribution to the nation's national economic development
(NED) consistent with protection of the nation's environment, pursuant
to environmental statues, applicable executive orders, and requirements
to preserve human safety, social well -being and cultural and historic
resources; and
WHEREAS, beaches are the most important single factor inducing
tourists to visit Florida; and
WHEREAS, the 21.6 million tourists who annually visit Florida's
beaches directly spend $7.9 billion, create 359,000 jobs, and generate
$15.4 billion for Florida's economy; and
WHEREAS, seven million foreign tourists visit Florida each year,
with 2.3 million from Canada who stay an average of twenty -one (21)
days each and spend $1.6 billion annually; and
WHEREAS, travel and tourism is the largest industry in the U.S.
and the world, the largest employer in the U.S., accounts for the
greatest job growth in the U.S., is the leading component of a
growing service - industry international trade surplus for the U.S.
(only agriculture generates a larger trade surplus), and is an
industry in which the U.S. dominates worldwide in revenues and
profits; and
WHEREAS, annual average federal expenditures for beach nourishment
projects over the past fort -yfour (44) years have been about $15 billion
and thegross regional product produced from beach tourism for coastal
states is estimated to be about $170 billion, indicating the extra-
ordinarily positive benefit /cost ratio of protecting the nation's
beaches; and
WHEREAS, Palm Beach County and other local municipalities have
successfully and in good faith constructed its projects with the
expectation that the federal obligation to participate in these
projects for their economic lives would be honored; and
WHEREAS, eliminating federal participation in beach nourishment,
flood control, and shore protections programs will remove a talented
and experienced pool of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers scientists and
engineers from coastal research efforts and place a significant
additional burden on state agencies and educational institutions to
continue such research; and
WHEREAS, eliminating the federal role in projects for flood
control, hurricane and storm damage and shoreline erosion control will
at least double the cost of the projects for states and local
governments, placing an unacceptable financial burden on these entities,
and reducing the ability of state and local governments to protect life,
land, and coastal structures and infrastructure.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF
GULF STREAM, that:
Section 1: The Town of Gulf Stream opposes the recommendations
in the Presidents 1996 budget request which would remove or limit
federal participation in water resources projects, including beach
renourishment projects, which are not "nationally significant" and
recommending that the current federal criteria for participation in
such projects.
Section 2: The Town of Gulf Stream hereby requests that this
Resolution be submitted to U.S. Representative E. Clay Shaw; U.S.
Senator Connie Mack; all Palm Beach County Municipalities; and the
Board of County Commissioners of Palm Beach County.
Section 3: This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon
adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED in a regular adjourned session assembled
this 19th day of April ,1996.
YOR
ATTEST:
TOW9 CLERK
2
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER